Trois Noix Cabernet Sauvignon Rancho Pequeno Vineyard Oakville 2023
(Napa Valley, California) - [DM 97]

About the Winery:
Trois Noix began in 2013 as a collaboration between amazingly talented friends who happened to be fabulous winemakers and grape growers - including winemaker Jaime Araujo - with the goal of making fresh and precise wines of time and place. Standing on that foundation today, they are a bridge between “Established Napa” and “Next Napa,” holding onto that sense of place while inviting as many people as possible to revel in a shared love of wine.

The Araujo name carries considerable weight in Napa Valley. Jaime’s father and stepmother, Bart and Daphne Araujo, were the visionary forces behind Araujo Estate at the famed Eisele Vineyard, which they transformed into one of Napa’s most revered Cabernet Sauvignon estates before selling to the Pinault family in 2013.

Trois Noix’s initial production was modest—just 300 cases of Cabernet Sauvignon. Over the past decade, the brand has grown steadily, now producing roughly 3,000 cases across a diverse range of labels.

The name Trois Noix—French for “three nuts”—was originally inspired by the founders’ children, but today the project carries broader meaning. According to Araujo, the brand rests on three guiding pillars: community, possibility, and opportunity, with wine positioned as a catalyst for connection and social change.

About this Wine:
Rancho Pequeño is located not too far from Beckstoffer Vineyards and Dalle Valle Vineyards. This Rutherford vineyard is particularly special for the Troix Noix team. This single-vineyard Cabernet Sauvignons is sourced from the best blocks at this expressive site.

The Vintage:
The 2023 vintage was one of the longest growing seasons that Napa Valley has experienced in a decade – and one of the finest. After several years of drought, the winter and spring months brought ample rainfall which replenished our vineyards’ soils. Cooler spring temperatures delayed budbreak and bloom, but the summer months were consistently warm and temperate without heat spikes. This confluence of excellent growing conditions allowed for slow phenolic development in the berries, retention of acidity, as well as remarkably ripe tannins by harvest time. The wines from this vintage are highly concentrated with incredible plushness and verve.

Tasting Notes:
Aromatics: Blueberry, black plum, wild violets, Nag Champa incense, and dusty earth.
Mouthfeel: Mouth-coating and sumptuous, dense yet lifted by the blending components, balanced acidity yielding an energized wine, sturdy and round tannins that will support the wine as it evolves. Intense, concentrated, and age-worthy.

Technical Info

Varietal Composition: 100% Cabernet Sauvignon
AVA: Oak Knoll District of Napa Valley
Aging: Aged in 100% French oak for 22 months, 25% new and 75% neutral
Bottling Date: June 13, 2023
Alcohol: 14.1%
Production: 98 cases

Ratings & Reviews

97 Points - Decanter Magazine:
"This is the best wine I've ever tasted from Trois Noix. It’s full-flavoured, complex, and rich without ever feeling heavy, framed by gorgeously polished tannins with a cocoa powder quality. The wine is supremely fresh and inviting, with minty eucalyptus and sagebrush notes lifting cassis, cherry, and white pepper-infused plum fruit, all supported by a spine of crisp acidity. Really hitting all the marks in 2023. Drink 2026-2038." - Jonathan Cristaldi (Mar 2026)